Friday, September 29, 2006

All the way to Buffalo....

Hello from the land of Buffalo Wings! We just wanted to post a little note to let everyone know who is still following the family here on the site that we made it to Buffalo just fine and are now staying a few days with our friends Paul, Katherine, Gracie and Zoe Marcus.

Paul and I played golf today at a very nice local course in Rochester and the weather was nice enough to hold off the rain and grant us a little sunshine for an 18 hole round. The wind was brisk and cool for an 8:00 am tee time, but the coffee, Kahlua and Irish Whiskey made the round a pure delight! After a disastrous opening 9 holes in which we both played like the hacks we are, the golf gods shined on us and allowed a respectable back 9. I finished with a 38 on the back and an 85 overall which I will still say is respectable since we played in what sometimes seemed like a weakened hurricane force wind!

After golf the girls turned the kids over to us and they hit the trail shopping (damage estimate is yet unknown so I will report that later....), but we made the best of it! Paul and I loaded the girls into the van and headed over to Powers Farms to view the pumpkin maze, the haunted tee-pees and the kiddie zoo! Savannah needs more blue jeans and workboots because she would NOT stay out of the mud! Savannah loved the animals, especially the wild turkey (the bird, not the alcohol!) and all the girls got a real giggle out of the gobble the turkey let out! Now although I cannot post it here, Savannah chased a little chicken that had escaped from its pen back and forth for about 5 minutes as she was bounded and determined to catch it! Dinner anyone?

Well, that's about it for now, the girls are back from shopping and they are having trouble getting the bags in the door so Paul and I had better go help (I am going for the credit cards!). Ill post more later! Till then.....

Mike (the drive was short but straight), Ann Marie (god that jacket looks good on me) and Savannah (let me play in the mud!) Kennedy

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Okay, at the behest of my favorite "next door neighbor ever", I am going to get everyone up to date on what has been happening in the life of the Kennedys over the past few months.

One special event that took place over the span was a visit from one of our travel group families the Zaleski's from New Jersey. Rich, Tina, Jacob and Kimberlee came down to North Carolina at the end of July and stayed a few days in Charlotte and Raleigh checking out the area. Ann Marie, Savannah and I traveled down to Charlotte to spend some time with them and as a special treat Keith and Susan Irwin and their daughter Sara Eve came up from Georgia to join us for dinner! Watching the girls play together was quite a treat and the families really enjoyed catching up with one another!

The first of August we got together for what may be one of the last times for a while with our good friends the Loflin's and their daughter Chloe. Chris has accepted a position in Maryland and they will be leaving in September to set up residence outside of Washington, DC around the Gaithersburg area. For a special treat we met for Dim Sum at Neo China and had a blast! Carts of food and good tea!

In mid-August Savannah finished up her first round of swim lessons at the YMCA. She took to the water at the YMCA like a frog as her Grandmother has taken her to the pool almost every day this summer (lucky girl!) and really impressed her instructor. She starts another class later this fall, so watch out 2024 Olympics!

Okay, I had to throw in a photo of "Uncle Dick", who doubles as the "best next door neighbor ever". Dick and his wife Mary along with our contingent went out to dinner at a local Greek restaurant in August and I took this photo as we were leaving. The background was awesome and really made for a nice photo!

Late August brought down Ann Marie's brother and his wife Ann for a visit to the family compound at Jordan Lake. The trip was special in that the "parents to be" were here to pick out some baby furniture for the impending arrival due around the New Year holiday. Cant you see the excitement on their faces in this photo? To their credit, it had been a long day and furniture shopping is not the most exciting thing to do!

For our sixth Anniversary we took a trip back to Charlotte to see some of my friends from John Deere and to spend a little time in the city. At the Ripley's house just outside Charlotte we got to see the twin for the first time since our return to the United States. Kelly has taken a job within one of our sister plants outside of Rock Hill, SC and we wanted to get the girls together for a playdate. The girls got along swimmingly after some initial shyness and by the time we left there were kisses being passed all around! After leaving the Ripley's we headed over to share a beer or two at the McNeill residence, one of my best friends from the "Homelite Days" as we like to call them! After a few hours with Paul and his family we headed back to Raleigh with the little one sleeping all the way home.

Last night we had a small party here at the house for our adopted brother from New York who will be leaving for a new job in California in a couple of weeks. Chris has been a very special part of our lives for over 5 years and has really become like part of both the Kennedy and Maynard families. Chris, you will be truly missed while you are gone, but expect a couple of visits in between now and your return to North Carolina! Oh, and GO CANES!

Since the Charlotte trip I think we have done nothing but work, take care of a sick little girl (stomach virus), take care of sick little dog we now call Jimmy Choo (shoes versus a vet bill!), and work! We have a super vacation planned for the end of this month with a trip to Buffalo, NY to visit the Marcus's whom you have seen in other posts from our previous site, and to Toronto, CA to visit with some of Ann Marie's work friends. In between we are going to do the touristy thing and hit Niagara Falls so be sure to tune back in for the photos!

Well, that's about all for now! I will TRY and not make it such a long wait in between postings from now on, and if anything from the past pops up I will slide that in as well! Till next time....